Hi Bruno,

While in general I agree with you as to the propensity of the Directors to oppress factions on both the left and right, I feel you are overstating the case as regards the Directory's actions following the coup of 18 Fructidor. Only 53 former deputies were deported to Guyana, alongside one Director, some journalists and a few royalist agents. While a few of these people died on the island, some escaped, and not a single senior figure was executed. Many monarchists and plotters managed to escape France or disappear into temporary hiding. Others were not troubled at all.

The Directory's subsequent actions did make life harder for priests, emigres, conservative journalists and monarchist sympathisers, and some of such people were no doubt subject to arrest and punishment, but in this case at least it is perhaps proper to say that the government's bark was worse than its bite. In fact the 'Triumvirs' probably did as much damage to their own institution as they did to the monarchists, for their use of force against elected deputies and annulment of election results in 49 departments violated the constitution and irreparably damaged the legitimacy of the government and its foundations.

See for example Martin Lyons' France Under the Directory and Denis Woronoff's Republique bourgeoise de Thermidor a Brumaire, 1794-1799.

Regards,
Chris